Jason Smyth

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Jason Smyth
Personal information
Born (1987-07-04) 4 July 1987
Derry, Northern Ireland
Residence Eglinton, Northern Ireland
Height 177.8cm
Sport
Sport Running
Event(s) 100m and 200m
Medal record
Competitor for  Ireland
Men's athletics
Paralympic Games
Gold 2008 Beijing 100 m T13
Gold 2008 Beijing 200 m T13
Gold 2012 London 100 m T13
Gold 2012 London 200 m T13
IPC Athletics World Championships
Gold 2013 Lyon 100 m T13
Gold 2013 Lyon 200 m T13

Jason Smyth (born 4 July 1987, Derry, Northern Ireland) is an Irish sprint runner. He competes in the T13 classification; his central vision is affected by Stargardt's disease.[1]

Career

He won two golds for Ireland at the 2008 Summer Paralympics setting records at the Men's 100 metres T13 and the Men's 200 metres T13, which led some Irish news sources to compare his feat to that of Usain Bolt, who achieved a similar feat at the 2008 Summer Olympics[2] View pictures from the homecoming parade[3] organised by the people of Eglinton to mark Smyth's achievement.

Smyth made history as the first Paralympian to compete at an open European championships, qualifying for the semi-finals of the 100 metres. Smyth ran 10.43 seconds, finishing 4th in his heat.[4] He just missed out on the final by finishing 4th in semi-finals in a time of 10.47 seconds.[5]

He won a bronze medal with the Irish relay team in the 4x100m relay at the 2011 European Team Championships.

Smyth hoped to compete in both the Paralympics and the Olympics in 2012. Although he ran 10.22 for the 100m in May 2011, this was 0.04s short of the A time needed to secure a place in the Olympic games. [6][7]

Smyth won Heat 1 of the 100m final breaking the World Record in a time of 10.54 seconds before breaking the record again in the final where he defended his Paralympic title in a time of 10.46 seconds.[8] This final was also marked as the fastest Paralympic 100 metres in history. Smyth equalled his Beijing achievement by winning gold in the Men's T13 200m with a world record time of 21.05 seconds.[9]

Personal life

He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Mormon.[10]

See also

  • 2012 Olympics gold post boxes in the United Kingdom

References

  1. ↑ Irish Times
  2. ↑ RTE
  3. ↑ Eglinton.com
  4. ↑ Haughey, John (2010-07-28). "Paralympian Smyth misses out on place in 100m final". BBC Sport (BBC). Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  5. ↑ Foley, Cliona (2010-07-28). "Athletics: Smyth makes Euro history". Irish Independent (Independent News & Media). Retrieved 2010-07-28. 
  6. ↑ O'Riordan, Ian (2012-04-08). "Time now to be making those London times, folks". Irish Independent (Independent News & Media). Retrieved 2012-03-08. 
  7. ↑ Guardian website, accessed 30/08/12
  8. ↑ Channel 4 http://paralympics.channel4.com/the-sports/athletics/event/men-100m-t13/phase=atm113900/index.html
  9. ↑ The Irish Times http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0908/1224323738670.html |url= missing title (help). 
  10. ↑ Bremner, Charles. The Times (London) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article756312.ece |url= missing title (help). 


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